


cheap wine and cigarettes

by itisjosh



Category: Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Post-Apocalypse, Best Friends, End of the World, Fluff, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Light Angst, Like physical hurt, Monster Hunters, Monsters, Post-Apocalypse, Survival
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-28
Updated: 2020-12-28
Packaged: 2021-03-11 03:47:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28368639
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/itisjosh/pseuds/itisjosh
Summary: Tommy is reckless and impulsive, and so, so prone to getting hurt.Luckily, Tubbo is always there to patch him up.
Relationships: Toby Smith | Tubbo & TommyInnit
Comments: 20
Kudos: 152





	cheap wine and cigarettes

The creature in front of Tubbo looks mostly human, which makes it much more difficult for him to justify killing it. He knows that he has to, that if he doesn't kill it, it will kill him, but that doesn't mean anything. Before the world went to shit, Tubbo hadn't even killed a spider before, opting to catch and release. He's never understood why people would kill, why they would willingly choose to hurt another creature that just wanted to coexist. It's so much harder when the creature in question looks human. It has too many limbs and a few too many bones jutting out of its back, but otherwise, it looks human. Tubbo shifts, peering out of his scope as he watches the monster start to drag itself down the street. He's killed monsters before, it's his _job_. 

Well, not officially. The world has gone and died, though it didn't do a very good job of killing off everything on it. It killed itself just fine, blowing up from the inside out, and the initial wave of damage was enough to wipe out a bit of the population. Unfortunately, those who didn't die in the initial blast were turned into the very monsters that Tubbo is hunting. They lost all sense of humanity when the radiation, is it radiation?, hit them. The monsters that Tubbo is going to kill aren't human, and they haven't been ever since they turned into monsters. 

He _knows_ this. He knows that they're just monsters, that they aren't human. 

It doesn't make it easier, no matter what he tells himself. 

Tubbo sighs, careful to be quiet about it. The creature doesn't even turn its head, thank god. Tubbo is on his own today, and though he's fairly certain he could kill this monster with ease, he doesn't plan on testing it. Tommy should be somewhere on the other side of the villa, hunting for supplies and new weaponry. Tommy was the one who suggested that they split up, and although Tubbo was vehemently against it, he ultimately agreed when Tommy promised that he wouldn't go far. So long as Tubbo can hear his best friend shout if he needs him, he'll let him wander out of his sight. The same thing goes for him, and he knows that Tommy wouldn't let him get hurt on purpose. 

Tommy is reckless and impulsive and he never knows how to stop. He takes on things ten times his size, he fights anything that might pose a slight threat to him. Doesn't matter if it's a monster or another survivor, he'll fight anything if they pose a threat to him or Tubbo. Tubbo absolutely loves his best friend, he does, he really does. Tommy is the best thing that has ever happened to him, and if Tommy was to die, Tubbo thinks that he would do the same.

But, although his love is unconditional, Tommy is a fucking idiot. He's the biggest adrenaline junkie that Tubbo knows, which was fun, back when the world was still intact. But now, it's more of a liability than anything. 

At least Tubbo knows basic aid. He had to learn from a young age when Tommy started to get into fights at school. Tubbo knew that he couldn't convince his best friend to stop going after people much stronger than him, so he just bit the bullet and learnt how to mend broken bones.

It was easier than trying to get through Tommy's skull. 

He frowns when the creature snaps its head to the side, tilting its head immediately after. Tubbo follows its line of sight, staring past a half caved in building. What the hell is it looking at? Tubbo doesn't see anything, he doesn't hear anything, either. Admittedly, the monster probably has better sight and hearing than he does, but _still_. Tubbo zooms in his scope, fixating it on the building, and- 

For _fuck's sake._

An all-too familiar mop of blonde hair is right in his crosshairs, crouched down behind a broken brick wall. 

_Tommy._

Tubbo swears under his breath, gripping his sniper rifle tighter in his hands. He has an agreement with Tommy, that if they're ever in an inescapable situation, mercy killing is allowed and encouraged. Tubbo isn't going to mercy kill his best friend, even if he's fucking stupid. He races down the stairs of the apartment complex he's on top of, keeping his footsteps silent, careful to not step on any broken glass around him. Tubbo peers out the lower level's main window, watching as the monster starts to crouch, getting into a hunting position. Fuck, it has Tommy directly in its sight. 

And before he can shoot, the monster is charging. "Tommy!" Tubbo shouts, throwing caution to the wind as he scrambles out of the apartment complex, nearly falling on his ass. "Tommy, get out of there!"

"Ah, fuck!" Tommy shouts back, pitching up into a scream when the- 

The monster has its jaw clamped around his arm, and it-

Tubbo fires, counting at least ten bullet cases that fall around him. He watches as blood sprays out of the monster, watches as it snaps its head towards him, taking a chunk of Tommy's arm with it. The damage has already been done, but Tommy is falling back, and the monster is running towards him, and _thank fucking god_. The creature falls to the ground when Tommy shoots it in the back of the head, slamming directly in front of Tubbo's feet, clawed hands outstretched towards him. The relief that floods through his veins is short lived, and he immediately feels that adrenaline kick back into him. 

Tubbo races to his best friend, practically body slamming him back to the ground. "Tommy! What the _hell?_ " Tubbo tries his best to suppress his anger. It isn't directed at Tommy, it's directed at himself for not being fast enough, it's directed at the monster for hurting him. "Are you okay?" He asks, much softer. He picks up Tommy's arm, turning it over, ignoring the blood that splatters his gloves and long sleeved shirt. "God.."

"Hey, big man," Tommy laughs, wincing when he does. "Sorry. I didn't see it, I didn't realise that it was there. Fuck, ow," he tries to jerk his arm back, but Tubbo keeps his grip firm. "Take me home. There's a pack of 'em on the other side," Tubbo breathes out through his nose, dropping Tommy's arm. Tubbo slings his rifle over his shoulder, sighing. He stands, pushing his arms under Tommy's back. He pulls his friend up to his chest, starting to walk. "I'm sorry." Tommy murmurs, lolling his head down. 

"Don't be," Tubbo murmurs back, keeping a steady pace. "It isn't your fault. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to get snappy," and with those few words, everything is right back to normal. The tension in the air, although barely noticeable, is gone without a second thought. "You're so lucky that I decided to learn first aid." 

Tommy laughs, throwing his head back. "Okay, Big T. Whatever you say."

"Well," Tubbo grins. "I'd say that you should go and get me that bee plushie I saw the other day, but you've got a bit of a mess going on here," he looks down at Tommy's forearm. "One to ten, how bad?"

"Zero."

"Tommy."

His best friend sighs, clearly defeated by just that word alone. "Six. It burns." Tubbo nods, although he still thinks that Tommy is lying to him. It wouldn't be the first, nor will it be the last, time that Tommy lied to him about his pain. They walk in silence, passing old and ruined buildings, overstepping glass and fallen brick. The rubble piles are huge, towering up at least ten metres, give or take some. Tubbo remembers when this part of town used to be lovely. When it used to be filled with flowers and grass. When people used to walk out in the streets, laughing and bickering and joking around with their mates. 

So much has changed.

It isn't even the official end of the world. All the other survivors are saying that there's going to be a second wave, one where the earth finally dies. One where everyone who survived the first will die. Tubbo doesn't like other survivors, he really doesn't. A lot of them are scavengers who just want to stay alive, but a lot of them are also murderers, hunters. People who kill other people just because they can. 

Tubbo remembers watching them kill Eret, Niki, and Fundy. Tommy had his family killed, too. Phil, Techno, Wilbur. Tubbo had spent months at a time with all of them, and to think that they're dead now..

It's sickening, it really is. Tubbo wishes that things could go back to normal, but he knows that that'll never happen. A shame, really. Tubbo stops walking when he sees their bunker door in front of his face, barely realising that he had gotten them home. He watches as Tommy leans forwards, punching in the code with his good arm. The bunker door rumbles and creaks, slowly dragging itself open. Tubbo is thankful that they found this place, he really is. He takes a step forwards, listening as the heavy metal door swings shut behind them, echoing a little too loudly for his liking. 

He sets Tommy down at the kitchen table. "Keep your arm up here," he pats the table, smiling when Tommy does. "Try to keep it a little more elevated, though. I don't want you to bleed to death," Tommy grins, ducking his head. "I'm serious! Blood loss is serious, Tommy."

"Okay, Tubbo," he smiles. Tubbo takes that as a win for himself, and moves to their joint bedroom. They knocked down the wall in between the rooms, figuring that they might as well. He goes to his side of the room, shuffling things around until he finds that bright red first aid kit, smiling a little. He grabs it, along with a towel in his bathroom, and walks right back out to their kitchen. Admittedly, it's more of a living room that has a tiny room in it, but whatever. "You gonna have to stitch me up?"

Tubbo shrugs. "Maybe, maybe not. I haven't gotten a chance to see it yet," he admits, sitting down next to his best friend. Tubbo sets the first aid kit on the table, reaching out to touch Tommy's arm. "It got really close to an artery." He thinks. Tubbo isn't sure, he had never been that interested in basic anatomy. He really should have taken that course when he had the chance. 

"Well," Tommy laughs, breathlessly. "That would've fuckin' sucked."

"Yeah," Tubbo agrees. He opens the first aid kit, pulling out the gauze and small bottle of rubbing alcohol. He's going to have to go outside and get more, which _sucks_ , but whatever. Anything for Tommy. Although it isn't like Tommy is the only one who gets injured, Tubbo gets hurt, too. Just..not as much as his best friend does. "Do you want something to scream into?" Tommy levels him with a glare that speaks volumes, and Tubbo just raises his hands up in defence, trying his best to keep the grin off of his face. "It was just a question!" Tubbo snorts, looking away when laughter overtakes him. 

"You're a dickhead, you know that?" Tommy scrunches up his face, though he's smiling, and Tubbo knows him well enough to know that he's having just as much fun. "Just..get it over with." Tubbo watches his arm strain, his muscles tightening. Ever since the world went to shit, Tommy has actually gotten a hell of a lot stronger. He's grown into his clothes more, he's started to become much more agile. Tubbo has, too, but Tommy looks a lot more like it. 

"Okay, okay," he flicks off the cap, pouring some of the alcohol onto a cloth. He does it quick, placing the cloth right on Tommy's wound. His best friend winces, biting down on his lip as soon as the cloth touches him. Tubbo rubs it in circles, careful to clean every single place that could get infected. "It hurts, but it's worth it," he murmurs, dragging the cloth down Tommy's arm. "I'm sorry."

"It's all good, big man," Tommy says through gritted teeth, squeezing his eyes shut. "It's all good." 

Tubbo is done in a minute or less, although it probably felt like years to Tommy. "Done with that," he tells him, glancing down at the wound. It isn't nearly as bad as he thought it would be. Blood is smeared around the open gash, a small pool of blood under Tommy's arm, right on the table. Fucking hell, Tubbo's going to have to clean that soon. He doesn't want it to like, ferment, or whatever it is that blood does when it's left alone for too long. "I don't think you'll need stitches." 

"Thank fuck," Tommy laughs, ducking his head. "Just need to wrap it up, you think?"

"I think, yeah," Tubbo confirms, reaching for the gauze. "Did you find anything interesting, before you got.." he looks down at the bite wound. "Bitten?"

"Not really," Tommy sighs. "Just some old scrap metal 'nd shit like that. We can always go on a supply run if you want it. Mostly just looked like broken wires and shit, but maybe there's still something salvageable." 

Tubbo nods, dragging out a strip of gauze. He motions for Tommy to raise his arm, which he does. "Sweet. We're going to need more alcohol. It's a surprise we still have any. That bottle is so fucking small," he sighs, wrapping the gauze around Tommy's arm. "I'm glad you're alright."

"Same," Tommy smiles, although it looks tired. "Fuck, that really drained me. Am I allowed to take a nap after this, Doctor Tubbo?" He asks, his tone way too mocking. "Or do I have to stay up and be yelled at for being reckless?"

"Well," Tubbo grins, leaning forwards. "You _are_ a reckless idiot. But I _guess_ you can sleep, just this once," he leans back, patting Tommy's hand. "Come on, big man. Let's get you off to dreamland." 

Tommy grins, letting Tubbo help him off his chair. "You're such a.." he trails off, cutting himself off with a yawn. "You're lucky we're friends. Or else I'd murder you."

"I'm sure," Tubbo smiles, patting Tommy's shoulder. "Goodnight, Tommy." Tommy flops down in his bed, and Tubbo sighs. If he keeps doing that, he's going to break it. 

"Goodnight, Tubbo. You be safe, yeah?"

Tubbo smiles. "I always am. Love you." There's a long silence, and Tubbo assumes that Tommy's already passed out. It wouldn't be the first time. It's almost insane how fast he can pass out.

"Yeah. Love you too, big man." 

Tubbo ducks his head, turning away from their rooms. 

It might be the end of the world, but so long as he's got Tommy, his world will never end. 


End file.
